My Hero Journey
by MultipleAddictions
Summary: In a time of quirks, Heroes have made their way up as a profession. This is the story of a particular hero. Mia Ito has a strong quirk, it was used as a tool for violence in the beginning, but is turned into a great hero quirk.
1. Prologue

In no way do I take credit for anything that is My Hero Academia. The only insert I own is Mia Ito!

Please review and comment. I will update as I have time.

Prologue

Life just wasn't fair. And the life I led was to kill or be killed. I had to fight to survive. Our purpose here was entertainment. One sick individual thought that watching young children tear each other apart would pull in lots of business. And boy, was he right. People would stream in to place bets on who they thought would win. I never knew how many sickos existed, but they made me sick. I couldn't stand them watching us. Each fight made me hate them more and more. I have been here four years now. I am almost too old to participate. Too old to rip other children apart. Part of me is glad that I won't have to fight anymore. The other part of me is afraid of what will happen once I stop fighting. I don't know what they did to those over the age of 12, but I haven't seen them since. If they kill us, I hope it is quick. They have put us through so much suffering already, it would only be fair. Life isn't fair.

I still have some hope here. I made two friends during my time in the arena. Grey and Haru have been with me since the beginning. I don't know what I would do without them. Each time one of us fights, the other will patch us up. We have been a sturdy foundation for each other. The masters here told us to never make friends, we wouldn't be alive long enough to have them. But the three of us have made it four years in this hell. Four years, we have been stronger together. We have a plan of escape. I turn 12 in less than a week, and I don't want to get thrown away, none of us do. Tomorrow night the three of us will make our escape. The masters have no idea what we are planning. We have behaved and played the part for years. However, it is time to break away.

Life isn't fair.


	2. Chapter 1: The Exam

In no way do I take credit for anything that is My Hero Academia. The only insert I own is Mia Ito!

Please review and comment. I will update as I have time.

Chapter 1: The Exam

It's been five years since then. I have changed in a lot of ways. After the rescue, I had nowhere to go. The masters had burned down my last residence with my family inside. I was ready to be thrown out like yesterday's garbage. Luckily, I was taken in. He is a bit of an odd-ball but he has been kind to me. Nezu-sensei has helped me so much. Back when he first met me I was almost feral. Fighting for years will do that to you. No one could even get close to me without the threat of attack. I even bit Nezu-sensei when he tried to approach me. But he still took me in. I caught up on my studies, which took longer than I thought. Without reading for years, I almost had to relearn. He helped me become human again. I was no longer this caged beast. I owe a lot to Nezu-sensei. I want to do him proud. I know it wasn't easy with me around.

I am terribly lucky. Nezu-sensei took me in and I now live at the prestigious UA Academy. Nezu-sensei is the school's principal. I have been begging him to let me apply to UA. I want to be a hero. No one should go through something like all of us did. I know I am quite a few years behind, but I started with a disadvantage. I have finally convinced Nezu-sensei and he allowed me to apply as a freshman. The application was sent in weeks ago but the exam is tomorrow. I am giddy with excitement. I know that I can do this. I have to.

A small smile made its way onto my freckled face. I jumped up from my plank position and ran into the bathroom. Nezu-sensei allowed me to cut my hair, something that was never allowed before. My once long copper hair was now a short bob. I liked it much better this way. It framed my slender face well and it was easy to manage. I also think that because it's shorter, my gold eyes pop more. Before, people would only stare at the long-tangled mess that was my hair. I carefully washed my face and prepared for bed. UA was less than a day away, but I am ready for it.

The next day, I was up bright and early. I showered, stretched, and got dressed in record time. After getting changed, I smelled a particularly delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Nezu-sensei must be cooking breakfast. In my excitement, I almost tumbled down the hallway. I normally cook, but on special occasions, Nezu-sensei will. He was in the kitchen with a small white apron on. To reach the stove he stands on a small step-stool. As I got closer, I noticed that his apron was dotted with small black pawprints. Nezu-sensei really was adorable.

"Good morning, Nezu-sensei!" I chirped at him before setting myself at the table.

"Good morning, my dear Mia," he responded happily. He hopped off the step-stool with eggs and bacon and slid them onto my plate before serving himself. We ate in focused silence. Nezu-sensei finished first and jumped down.

"Good luck today!" he smiled with one paw raised before he hung up the apron and pranced out the door. 'He is so adorable.' I thought before gathering up my things and proceeded out the door as well. I wore comfortable clothes today. I knew there would be a physical portion and I was not interested in messing up some of my better clothes. On my shoulder was my tan bag. It mostly contained blank paper and some pens and pencils. I was trying to be as prepared as possible. I knew the exam portion would be fine, I have been studying like crazy. I was worried about the physical portion. I have a very physical quirk and it is metamorphic. I have the ability to enhance my senses and muscles. As I do so, scales will begin covering the areas in which my quirk is activated. I can grow a tail and wings as well. They call my quirk: Beast. But I think it's more dragon-like. However, I can only activate about 50% right now. Once higher than that, I begin to lose control. The more beast-like I become, the more instinct takes over. Once I am over 75% I have lost the battle completely. I didn't think I would have to use that much of my quirk today, but you never know.

Sooner than I thought, I arrived at the exam hall. The test just flew by. I knew most of what was on the test. So, it had gone as well as I had thought. I was now seated in a large lecture hall. More and more applicants began filing into the room. It was still very quiet. I could feel the tension.

Finally, the presentation began. It was led by none other than the pro-hero Present Mic. Some odd rock music began to play and spotlights turned to the front of the room. Sometimes, I think he was a little much.

"What's up, UA candidates? Thanks for tunin' into me, your school DJ. C'mon. And lemme hear ya!" he yelled into the room. There was no response. I almost lost it and laughed at him. "Keeping it mellow, huh? That's fine, I'll skip straight to the main show. Let's talk about how this practical exam's gonna go down, okay? Are you ready?! Yeah!" he sing-songed at the end. As he continued with the explanation I could hear someone off to the side fanboying about him. I sighed, sometimes these people were all too much. I focused back in on Mic. ' Ten-minute mock battles, huh? That's not a ton of time, but I'll make it work.' More talking came back from the area with the fanboy nerd. It was beginning to get irritating. I was trying to focus. I turned my face resolutely to the screen.

"There are three types of faux villains in every battle center. You'll earn points based on their level of difficulty, so better choose wisely. Your goal in this trial is to use your Quirk to raise your score by shredding these faux villains like a mid-song guitar solo!" He really was too much to handle. How does he keep friends with this much energy?

"But, check it! Make sure you're keeping things heroic. Attacking other examinees is a UA no-no, ya dig?" Well, I had assumed that much, but I guess it's better to say out loud.

"Excuse me, sir, but I have a question." I looked over in surprise as an applicant stood up and had his hand rim-rod straight in the air.

"Hit me!" Mic yelled before a spotlight was shot onto the person in question. He was dressed formally. He had short black hair and square glasses that gave him a no-nonsense look.

"On the print-out, you've listed four types of villains. Not three. With all respect, if this is an error on official UA materials, it is shameful. We are exemplary students, we expect the best from Japan's most notable school. A mistake such as this won't do." He stated his question. Why couldn't he have just asked in a shorter manner? It would have been quick and to the point. But I guess he wasn't done. "Additionally, you with the unkempt hair." He singled out fanboy. "You've been muttering this entire time. Stop that. If you can't bother to take this seriously, leave. You're distracting the rest of us." Finally, something I could get behind.

"Amen." I sighed out. The students laughed it off as he mumbled something about being sorry.

"Alright! Examinee number 7-1-1-1. Thanks for calling in with your request." He really isn't letting the DJ bit go. "The fourth villain type is worth zero points. That guy's just an obstacle we'll be throwing in your way. There's one in every battle center. Think of it as a hurdle you should try to avoid. It's not that it can't be beaten, but there's…kinda no point." He explained. 'Is this to test our evasion skills? Would we run from a villain in a real scenario?' I didn't know how I felt about this.

"That's all I got for you today. I'll sign off with a little present. A sample of our school motto! As General Napoleon Bonaparte once laid down, A true hero is one who overcomes life's misfortunes." I was shocked at this one. He sounded pretty cool right now. I could relate. Because life's not fair. "Are you ready to go beyond? Let's hear a Plus Ultra!" After this, we all began filing out of the lecture hall.

With the conclusion of Present Mic's hyped presentation, I made my way to the bus that would take me to training ground F. I sat near the back of the bus and looked out the window.

"Hey! You mind if I take the seat next to you?" I turned to face a boy with hair that honestly resembled fire. It was bright red in color and was gravity-defying. He had a charming smile on his face.

"That's fine." I smiled back, "I'm Mia Ito, by the way." I introduced. He grinned even more. His teeth were oddly pointed, but it didn't make him look any less friendly.

"I'm Eijiro Kirishima!" he saluted. I smiled at him as he took a seat. He seemed kind. We lapsed into silence as the bus began to take us to the correct destination. We were nervous, and all too soon, we arrived. We all got off the bus and gathered around the entrance.

"Man, UA really goes all out, huh?" Kirishima said in awe. Suddenly, the doors opened. I activated the quirk in my lower body. Scales began covering portions of my legs and a tail sprouted out behind me. I shot off into the city.

"Hey!" "Cheater!" "That's not hero-like!" I heard roars of outrage.

"What are you waiting for?!" The group stopped yelling and looked in the direction of Present Mic's voice. "There's no countdown in a real battle! Run Run Run!" Mic yelled over the intercom. The rest of the applicants gasped and ran after me.

I smirked. I had a considerable lead on them. I then refocused on the task at hand. I couldn't use my nose for these types of enemies, so I should use my ears. I should be able to hear the machinery before it gets too close. I surged forward activating the quirk in my ears and following the sound toward the middle of the city. I immediately came across three 1-pointers. Without hesitation, I used my legs to pummel them. I continued forward with my onslaught. Robot after robot fell to my attacks, but I was getting tired. I was using a lot of my quirk. I knew that after this test, I would fall right asleep.

"3 minutes remaining!" Mic's voice cut through the chaos. I clenched my teeth. 'It wasn't enough!'

Suddenly, parts of the enclosure exploded and the 0-pointer arrived. It. Was. Huge. My jaw dropped in surprise. Applicants around me began running in the opposite direction. I too began to turn tail and run.

"Help! I'm stuck!" My mind and body ground to a halt. I located the voice. Closer to the approaching 0-pointer was a guy trapped under some debris that had fallen. He looked pinned. My body moved. I strained forward toward the boy. I got to him and forced more of my quirk through my body. My hands became claw-like as more blue-green scales washed over my body. I lifted the stone slab so he could crawl out. His leg looked bad. Once he was out I let the rock drop and grabbed the boy up. I threw him over my shoulder and ran like hell.

"Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck, Fuck!" I cursed out loud as the 0-pointer began to swing it's arm down. Sweat poured down my face as I tried to push faster. Just as I thought we were about to die, I heard Mic's voice.

"Time!" The robotic arm stopped instantly, and I dropped to the ground. My quirk deactivated and I relaxed.

"Holy shit," I mumbled before losing consciousness entirely.


	3. Chapter 2: The Results

Sorry it has been so long! I just got done moving and it took a while to get settled in. I hope you enjoy! In no way do I take credit for anything that is My Hero Academia. The only insert I own is Mia Ito!

Please review and comment. I will update as I have time.

Chapter 2: The Results

I woke up in my bedroom, the familiar ceiling staring back down at me. Wait. My bedroom? How did I get here? I made to sit up when a wave of exhaustion hit me. 'That's right. The exam.' My head fell back into the pillow. The zero pointer had interrupted the flow of my quirk. I panicked at the site of it and overpowered what I was using. By cutting it off at the end the exhaustion was overwhelming and I passed out. I closed my eyes. What if it wasn't enough? Nezu-sensei has done so much for me. I can't let him down like this.

I slowly pulled myself up. The clock read 7:37pm. I must have been asleep for at least 6 hours. I ignored the ache and made my way out of bed and towards our kitchen. Nezu-sensei wouldn't be home until later. Exam days tended to keep him late. I opened our fridge, then sighed in disdain. Empty. I resigned myself to my fate. I grabbed my wallet and quickly scratched out a note to Nezu-sensei if he happened to get home before I did.

Thanks for bringing me home! Went to buy food for

dinner. Be back soon!

-Mia

I slipped on my shoes and made my way off campus.

The grocery store was about a ten minute walk once I made it off campus. The sidewalks were fairly empty. Most people were probably eating dinner by now. It was a beautiful evening. The sky was bright and the air was warm. This was the complete opposite of my mood. How could I have been so stupid? The doors to the market opened for me. Only a complete amateur would activate their quirk without thinking. If it was a real encounter, the person I was saving and myself could have died. I was so dumb! I growled audibly as I picked up some stew meat and threw it in my basket.

"Inno-san?" a recognizable voice spoke up. I spun around to face a familiar redhead.

"Oh! Hey, uh. It's Ito-san actually." I reminded with a small smile. "Kirishima-san, yes?" He clenched one fist and held it close to himself.

"I couldn't get your name right but you remembered mine. That's so manly!" he exclaimed. I sweat-dropped.

"Thanks, I guess?" I replied. I didn't know if it was good or not for me to be manly, but he sounded happy. "So, how do you think the exam went?" I asked hesitantly. This could be a touchy frowned slightly before rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I don't really know. My quirk isn't super flashy, so I'm not sure if I was noticed at all." He showed me his arm. The skin on his forearm immediately hardened.

"That's amazing!" I almost dropped my basket in the rush to get closer. It was a body changing quirk like mine. "Can I?" I asked reaching one hand out. He seemed slightly overwhelmed, but nodded a yes. It was hard like steel, but still warm from his body heat. "This quirk is definitely hero material. They would be crazy to let this go!" I answered truthfully. He grinned at me.

"What about you?" he asked looking less down than before.

"I also don't think I did my best. I used my quirk inefficiently and I kinda passed out at the end." I mumbled the last bit, it was embarrassing. "My quirk also alters my body, but it exhausts me after awhile." I activated my quirk on my arm as Kirishima had just done. The blue-green scales began to sprout and cover my arm.

"You're like a dragon! That's so cool! So manly! Can I touch your scales?" he seemed so eager. I agreed, it was only fair. He immediately shot a hand out and ran it along the scales. "It's so smooth." he said in awe. I let the scales retreat and he pulled back his hand. WE settled into an awkward silence. I started leaning back and forth from foot to foot.

"Well, I'll let you get back to your shopping. I have food to get as well." I said kindly.

"Yeah! I hope we both make it into UA!" We both smiled big and fist bumped before he ran off. My exhaustion was bearable now. Kirishima-san was quite the character. 'I hope we both make it.'

My shopping trip after that ended quickly and I made my way back home without much interference.

Nezu-sensei had not gotten home yet. But that was okay. I didn't want to face him just yet. I quickly put together an easy meat and vegetable soup. I made enough for Nezu-sensei and I for the next few days. Would the results be in by then?

For the next week I trained. I woke up early and came home late. I definitely wasn't using this as an excuse to avoid Nezu-sensei… Nope! I would rune 5 miles as my warm up and then spend the rest of the day at the UA gym. This gym wasn't your ordinary gym. It had the ordinary training equipment, weights, treadmills, but it also contained a pool, track, field, and pitchers set. Anything you could possibly want to work on was in this building or the ones next to it. Certain areas were only for current students who could be supervised by a teacher, so I stayed out of those areas. Currently, I was working on my breast stroke. I didn't get to swim often, but I loved it. I loved the water. Time just flew by. Lap after lap went by, before I took a break by flipping on my back to float. My eyes were closed as I floated on. I hear a small cough. I opened my eyes. Nezu-sensei was standing at the edge of the pool. I flailed around and went under in surprise. Surfacing, I coughed and leaned onto the side of the pool.

"Ah, Nezu-sensei. I didn't see you there. Um, what brings you here?" I asked wiping water out of my face. He smiled knowingly at me.

"Yes. Mr. Principal here. Sometimes, I too need an exercise day." He replied as he flexed cutely. I couldn't help myself as I smiled at him. "It has come to my attention that you have received some mail today." He informed me, placing his hands behind his back.

"Mail? I never get-" I froze mid-sentence. Mail? The exam. UA. Oh my God. I leapt out of the pool. "I need to dry off, where's my bag? Clothes?" I began rummaging around, grabbing my bag and other items of mine before turning back to Nezu-sensei. " I will see you at home! Thanks for telling me!" I yelled picking up my towel and sprinting towards the locker room. IU quickly threw my locker open and chucked my towel inside. In a flurry of motion the swimsuit was discarded and clothes were flung on. I didn't bother to brush or pull back my hair before dead on sprinting back to our home on the south-side of campus.

I scrambled to get the key into the door and made my way inside. Nezu-sensei was at the table halfway through a cup of tea. I did a double-take.

"Wha-How? I sprinted here?!" He laughed good-humoredly before gesturing towards the mail in front of him. Neatly placed on top of the rest of the mail was a sealed letter from U.A. I snatched it off the table and ran into my room, shutting the door securely behind me. I sat at my desk and just stared at the letter. All of the adrenaline from before came to a stopping point and I sagged in the chair. This was it. The results in this envelope means everything. I carefully broke the seal and pulled a small disk out of the envelope. I set it on my desk and to my surprise, All Might appeared as a hologram.

"Miss Ito! As I am sure you are aware, you earned 52 points for destroying the robots." My eyebrows rose, I thought it was much less than that. But it still might be enough, UA had a rough acceptance rate. "However! Other factors were taken into consideration. We were looking at Rescue Points!" He exclaimed pointing to a board that showed her ranking. 52 hero points and…

"Miss Ito, you scored an additional 22 rescue points which puts you into our 2nd place Ranking!" My eyes started to water. 2nd place. I did it! "Welcome to UA!" he bellowed. The hologram ended. I leaned back into my chair. Then bolted straight up and threw open the door. Right outside was Nezu-sensei.

"I made it in!" I cried kneeling down and embracing him.

"Of course you did, Mia. You are hero material." He said, while calmly patting my back. I let him go.

"I'm sorry I have been avoiding you for awhile." I said sheepishly.

"No harm done, my girl. Now let's have some celebratory tea!" he said making his way back to the kitchen. I rolled my eyes. He sure does appreciate his teas.


End file.
